There are many areas across the country that have significant amounts and types of contaminants in their drinking water. It is desirable, of course, to remove contaminants if possible; however, there have been a number of difficulties associated with producing a device that will remove a wide variety of target contaminants quickly and simply, and in an inexpensive manner.
According to the present invention, a water treatment apparatus is provided which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture, simple and easy to use, and successfully removes a wide variety of, or any desired specific, contaminants normally present in tap water. In one exemplary embodiment, the apparatus cooperates with a conventional common household container such as an empty milk bottle or juice jug, or like plastic or glass bottles, and ensures that only treated water is dispensed from the container once it is filled with water which is treated by the apparatus.
The three basic components of the apparatus according to the invention comprise an elongated tube, which may house certain water treatment media, a cartridge also containing water treatment media, and a cap. An additional adaptor component is also provided which enables use of a single cap design with different container or bottle designs.
In a first exemplary embodiment, the tube, which commonly would be of plastic, has open first and second ends. Adjacent its open first end, the tube has a plurality of projections extending radially from it, which projections are spaced from each other circumferentially around the tube, and which are adapted to make an interference fit with the interior surface of the neck of a conventional bottle or the like. A radially outwardly extending flange is also provided on the top of the projections, the flange minimizing the possibility that water will enter the bottle except by flowing through the open first end of the tube. The components are dimensioned so that liquid from within the bottle can flow between the interior surface of the bottle neck and the exterior surface of the tube, around the projections and past the flange, to be dispensed.
The water treatment media can comprise any of a wide variety of water treatment media such as activated carbon (or like material) to remove organic materials; halogenated resin fibers and/or halogenated resin beads to destroy bacteria and viruses; and/or materials which leach magnesium and calcium back into the water. The media typically would be disposed within a cartridge inserted into the tube adjacent the open second end thereof.
In a second exemplary embodiment according to this continuation-in-part application, the tube itself may contain one or more compartments for containing water treatment media such as carbon or absorbant media (e.g., ion exchange resins), biocidal media and the like. A replaceable cartridge may also be removably attached to the lower or outlet end of the tube. The cartridge preferably contains additional media, but may also contain flavoring concentrate, mineral and vitamin supplements, etc. In this way, it is possible to first remove contaminants from the water, so that a uniformly consistent water is blended with, e.g., the concentrate, to thereby produce a consistently uniform-tasting beverage. It will also be appreciated that in this second exemplary embodiment, the tube/cartridge assembly may be attached directly to a faucet or other water conduit, hose, etc. so that discharge occurs through the replaceable cartridge.
The replaceable cartridge is preferably in the form of a cylinder, open at its upper or inlet end and closed at its lower end. Arranged about the lower periphery of the cylindrical side wall are a plurality of sets of louvers, which serve to discharge water or other liquid 360.degree. about the cartridge.
It will be appreciated that the tube may be fastened to any water source by a friction or bayonet type attachment. The same is true for the cartridge relative to the lower end of the tube.
In the first described embodiment, the cap cooperates with the exterior surface of the bottle neck, and is adapted to close off the tube first end while allowing passage of liquid from within the bottle between the tube and the neck. In one exemplary embodiment of the cap device, an upper cap portion is provided axially spaced from, and substantially co-extensive with, a lower cap portion, the lower cap portion having a plurality of arcuately shaped openings therein which are circumferentially spaced from each other around substantially 360 degrees. The upper and lower cap portions are spaced from each other a distance sufficient to allow liquid to flow through the openings in the lower portion top surface and to the space between the upper portion and the lower portion, and then away from the cap. The cap is affixed to the outer surface of the bottle neck by screw threads, cooperating snap rings, or the like. The cap typically would be made of high density polyethylene, or a platable ABS plastic.
In another embodiment, the upper portion of the cap is axially spaced from the lower portion of the cap by an integral center peg, and is removable by reason of the center peg being snap-fit into a hole formed in the lower portion. Alternatively, threads may be provided on the center peg to cooperate with threads on the lower portion of the cap, so that the cap may be opened or closed via rotation of the cap's upper portion in one direction or the other. A left-hand thread is preferred for the tightening or closing direction.
In another cap embodiment, the upper portion of the cap is captured within the lower portion of the cap but frictionally slidable between open and closed positions.
In still another cap embodiment, the upper portion of the cap is captured within the lower portion of the cap but freely slidable therein so that it remains normally closed by reason of gravitational forces when the bottle or container is in an upright position, but opens automatically upon a substantial tilting movement.
In a related aspect, this invention provides an adaptor which converts a bottle designed for snap-on tops or caps to a bottle which is capable of receiving screw-on caps.
It is, therefore, the primary object of the present invention to provide a simple yet effective water treatment apparatus which may be simply and inexpensively used for removing contaminants from drinking water. This and other objects of the invention will become clear from an inspection of the detailed description of the drawings, and from the appended claims.